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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23843458">I Love You So</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/thekatthatbarks/pseuds/thekatthatbarks'>thekatthatbarks</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fluff, Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 11:56:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,783</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23843458</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/thekatthatbarks/pseuds/thekatthatbarks</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sakura didn’t think he realized how intimate he sounded; how soft his voice was with that sincere smile on his lips.</p><p>“You make me happy.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Haruno Sakura/Sai</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>251</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>I Love You So</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>               Sakura didn’t think he realized how intimate he sounded; how soft his voice was with that sincere smile on his lips.</p><p> </p><p>               “You make me happy.”</p><p> </p><p>               Sakura felt herself blush and tried to not read too much into it. Her eyes went to the table between them and she replied honestly, “You make me happy, too, Sai.”</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>               Once she heard it, she had the thought that she wanted to hear it for the rest of her life. It made her chest tight even as she smiled.</p><p> </p><p>               They were walking by a river, on their way back to Konoha after a mission. Sai had made an off-handed comment to Naruto, something that didn’t have as much bite to it like when they were teenagers. Sakura knew he only did it because he enjoyed bickering with Naruto.</p><p> </p><p>               Naruto made a face and shoved him. “Oi, take that back!”</p><p> </p><p>               Sai told him with a blank face, but Sakura could see the smirk in his eyes. “No, I don’t think I will.”</p><p> </p><p>               “You’re such an asshole.” Naruto pushed him again and this time Sai caught his arm. He pulled him towards the water and since Naruto knew he couldn’t avoid it, he grabbed Sai’s shirt and dragged him down with him.</p><p> </p><p>               Sakura and Kakashi stepped to the side to avoid the splash of water when they landed, amused smiles on their faces. They were completely soaked when they stood up, Naruto grumbling as he shook his hair. Sai laughed as he stepped out of the bank, his sandals making a wet noise as he walked. Naruto took off his jacket as he walked beside him, wringing out the fabric and shaking it near him.</p><p> </p><p>               Sakura felt herself chuckling, watching them look at each other annoyed but not able to stop their grins. They were ridiculous.</p><p> </p><p>               Sai caught her smile and she felt her heart skip a beat when he put an arm around her. She squealed from his cold arm and tried to push him back with a laugh. “Sai, get off of me!”</p><p> </p><p>               He tugged on her, giving her an innocent smile. “But Sakura, it is really hot today. Maybe you should – “</p><p> </p><p>               Sakura might’ve stood a chance if it was just Sai, but then Naruto grabbed her other arm and they wrestled her to the water. She glared up at them after she resurfaced from the water, hearing Kakashi sigh as he looked over at them. She noticed he’d stepped even further away from them, his book tucked protectively back in his pouch. She didn’t think he stood much of a chance either.</p><p> </p><p>               Sai reached a hand out for her, a laugh falling from his lips. “Now we’re all even.”</p><p> </p><p>               Sakura rolled her eyes at him as she wrapped her hand around his and let him pull her to her feet. There was a smile on her lips even as she told him, “I didn’t even do anything!”</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>               Sakura felt heat coil in her stomach as she looked up at him. They’d been sparring and he had her pinned to the ground, her hands in one of his in a tight grip above her head. Sakura felt breathless as she met his eyes. There was something there as he looked down at her and Sakura hated how she didn’t know if it was her imagination. His other hand was on her waist and when she felt his fingers dig into her skin, some panic clawed up her throat.</p><p> </p><p>               With a flare of chakra, she broke his hold and flipped him so she could stand up. He looked up at her confused, still on the ground and Sakura hoped he blamed the red in her cheeks on the fight. She gave him a nervous smile as her heart raced in her chest. “You win, Sai.”</p><p> </p><p>               She walked away from him and over to the tree Naruto was sitting at. He cocked an eyebrow at her as she reached down for her pack, “Sakura, what’re you – “</p><p> </p><p>               “I forgot I have a surgery scheduled soon. I’ll leave the rest of training to you two,” she rattled off an excuse and didn’t look back as she slipped in between the trees.</p><p> </p><p>               She heard Naruto call out to Sai as she walked away. “What the hell did you do to her?”</p><p> </p><p>               Her insides twisted at the confused voice that replied, “I don’t know.”</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p>              </p><p>               They were at the training ground again, just themselves, lying around after a spar. This time Sakura hadn’t turned into a blushing mess and ran away when he pinned her down. But Sai had also let go of her as soon as he did so.</p><p> </p><p>               Sakura had her head pillowed on her arms as she looked up at the sky, laying at Sai’s feet where he was sitting against the tree. She glanced at him to see he’d pulled out his sketchbook. “What’re you drawing?”</p><p> </p><p>               He didn’t look up from the paper as he sketched and told her, “You.”</p><p> </p><p>               Sakura felt her heart stutter and tried to play off the nervous feeling that was crawling across her skin. She chuckled and looked away from him. “Why would you draw me? I thought you said I was ugly.”</p><p> </p><p>               Sai snorted. “I haven’t called you that in years.”</p><p> </p><p>               He hadn’t and Sakura bit her lip, not knowing how to reply. His voice was lower when he spoke again and Sakura could hear a thread of nervousness laced through it. “I didn’t understand some things back then. Sakura, you’re very beautiful, don’t think you’re not.”</p><p> </p><p>               Sakura felt her skin heat and she kept her eyes resolutely on a blade of grass. She let out a breath and told him quietly, “I don’t think you have any idea what you do to me.”</p><p> </p><p>               Sai matched her tone and replied, “I don’t think you know what you do to me, either.”</p><p> </p><p>               They were small confessions, words spoken to lay out on the grass between them. Neither of them moved though, a tense silence following them until it morphed into something comfortable as the minutes went by.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>               Sai’s grip in the back of her shirt was tight even as he told her through gritted teeth, “Sakura, you should – “</p><p> </p><p>               Sakura tightened her hold on his waist as they moved through the trees. She bit back at him harshly, “I’m not <em>leaving</em> you here, so shut the hell up already.”</p><p> </p><p>               He laughed though it sounded like it caused him pain. “Always so stubborn.”</p><p> </p><p>               “Fuck off,” Sakura muttered back, her eyes scanning the area in front of them. Naruto and Kakashi couldn’t be too far from them. She could hear the sounds of blades in the distance but didn’t know if it was better to move towards them or retreat further.</p><p> </p><p>               Anxiety twisted along her spine as she decided and moved in their direction. A kunai flew by her ear and she felt like she made the right choice as she spun to kick the ground behind them, the ground flying in the air as she yanked Sai on to her back and sprinted into the trees.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>               “Sakura, I’m fine.” Sai sent her a comforting smile as she entered his tent, but it didn’t ease any of the tightness in her chest.</p><p> </p><p>               She glared at him as she moved to kneel beside him. “I’m going to keep checking on you so just deal with it.”</p><p> </p><p>               Sai sighed but didn’t argue as her hands went to the wound on his side. There wasn’t any more tearing and while she was thankful for it, she huffed frustrated. “I wish I could heal it all the way.”</p><p> </p><p>               Sai covered her hand with his own and she looked to his face. “Don’t. You know you need to save some of your chakra.”</p><p> </p><p>               Sakura bit the inside of her cheek and tore her eyes back to his stomach. She was bitter about it, but he was right, and she only had so much left. They weren’t in Konoha territory yet and it wouldn’t be smart to use up any more of her chakra in case something happened. Sai would be fine, like he said.</p><p> </p><p>               His hand tightened around hers and Sakura felt her jaw lock as her breath hitched in her chest. He tugged on her hand, pulling her towards him. “Sakura.”</p><p> </p><p>               Sakura looked back to him as he sat up but before she could protest, he’d pulled her to his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, and Sakura felt her eyes burn as he told her, “Sakura, I’m fine. Stop looking at me like that.”</p><p> </p><p>               Sakura felt something snap inside her and she clung to him, burying her face in his neck. Her voice shook as she told him, “Don’t ever tell me to leave you again.”</p><p>              </p><p>               He leaned his head against hers and Sakura focused on his breathing. He said softly, “I’m sorry.”</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>               Sakura almost wanted to decline his invitation for a spar. She was tired and Sai had a way of making her heart race any time they were in the training grounds that had nothing to do with fighting. She felt like he knew it too.</p><p> </p><p>               But she found it hard to deny him and joined him for the evening.</p><p> </p><p>               Sakura panted as she looked up at him, her eyes narrowed. “I will figure out why you keep beating me one of these days.”</p><p> </p><p>               Sai had a smirk on his lips and Sakura fought back a shiver as his hand trailed down her hip. “I think it’s because you keep getting distracted.”</p><p> </p><p>               Sakura bit her lip and denied it, unable to look away from the heat in his eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”</p><p> </p><p>               Sai hummed and Sakura felt his hand go lower until he hooked it under her knee, then yanked her body closer to him as he leaned over her. Sakura could feel her pulse pounding in her ears and she asked him nervously, “Sai, do you know what you’re doing?”</p><p> </p><p>               “Yes.”</p><p>              </p><p>               Then, he kissed her, and Sakura felt herself let go.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>               Sai was kissing her into her sheets as she tangled her fingers in his hair. She sighed into his mouth as his fingers brushed across her side. She felt him smile and he admitted softly, “I think I could spend the rest of my life doing this.”</p><p> </p><p>               Sakura’s heart felt heavy and she asked him breathlessly, “You know what you’re implying when you say things like that, don’t you?”</p><p> </p><p>               He pulled back just far enough to meet her eyes and Sakura didn’t think anyone had ever looked at her so warmly. “I do.”</p><p> </p><p>               Emotion coated her throat and she told him in a whisper, “I love you.”</p><p> </p><p>               Sai smiled with a small chuckle and kissed the words into her skin, “Yes, exactly.”</p>
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